


Rescuing a Queen

by canadianfangirl



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Random thing that occurred to me, first fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 10:32:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6800110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canadianfangirl/pseuds/canadianfangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merida has never been a good swimmer, so when her hunting party takes a break by a small pond she decides to stay away from the water. But two of her men have a different idea. What happens next was completely unexpected, especially to her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rescuing a Queen

Merida of Dunbroch was many things, but she was not a swimmer. 

Ever since she was a little girl, Merida for some reason, couldn't figure out how to swim. Maybe it was because all of her hair got in her face, or maybe it was because she wasn't as coordinated in the water as she was on land, all Merida knew was that she couldn't do it. So, she stayed away from deeper water as best she could.

That was easier said than done. 

Years had passed since Merida was swept away to Storybrooke by the Dark Curse. Emma, with the help of Regina, was finally able to send her back home to her kingdom, and she was welcomed home with open arms. 

Literally. Her brothers were almost always by her side, and her mother was hugging her constantly everyday for nearly a week. 

The one thing she did not expect was the excitement of the clans. She remembered that they stood by her side against Arthur, and that they finally fully supported her as their queen, but when you disappear without a trace not even a week after you were crowned, you expect a bit of apprehension. This was not the case. The clansmen threw a feast in celebration of Merida's return, and the leaders of the clans, Lords Dingwall, Macguffin, and even Macintosh, made a speech welcoming her home. 

It was one of Merida's fondest memories. 

Now, years later, Merida was leading a hunting party after a giant stag that some of the village people said was impossible to catch. Well, Merida was always one to accept a challenge, so she there she was, leading ten of her best hunters, including the three lords, and her younger brother Hamish, trying to find this bloody creature. 

Let's just say, the village people were right. 

Nearly half a day they had been hunting this creature, and there wasn't a single sign of it. 

"Merida!" Hamish whined from the horse beside her. 

"Let me guess, 'It's hot, can we take a break?'" Merida said, repeating the single complaint her younger brother had been making the entire day. She looked over at her brother, and then behind her at her clansmen, all of them looked weary and tired. "Fine." She conceded, "How would you boys feel about taking a wee break?" Merida could practically feel the sigh of relief that came from the hunting party. 

"I think there's a lake a little further ahead," Macintosh spoke up. 

"MERI!" Hamish instantly perked up at the thought of cool water. 

"Alright, alright. No need to get your knickers in a twist there Hamish. How much further?" 

"Right there." 

Everyone stopped there horses and looked upon the beautiful pristine pond of water. There was a drop off about 10 feet above the water, and a nice sandy beach off to the side. Hamish giddily looked over at his sister, shaking with eagerness. Merida couldn't help but smile at him, "Aye, go."

Hamish leaped off his horse and ran into the water. He was always a good swimmer, unlike Merida. 

"Well he certainly is something." Macintosh said from behind her. 

"Aye, that he is. But, can't help but love him." 

Merida rode Angus up to the drop off, and tied him off on of the trees. She took out her lunch that Maudie had prepared for her. She stayed there for about thirty minutes, undisturbed, just watching her men with a smile on her face. Five years ago, if you had told Merida that she would one day be looking upon Lords Macintosh, Dingwall and Macguffin playing around with one of her younger brothers with fondness, she would have shipped you off to the middle of nowhere thinking you had gone mad. But there she was, doing exactly that. 

"My queen." A voice came from her left.

"Ah, Evan. What can I do for you?"

"Nothing, milady. Some of the men were just wondering why you were sitting up here when everyone else is enjoying themselves down there."

"Oh, well I just suppose I enjoy the quiet. It's nothing wrong with you lot." 

"Of course milady. Just one more thing."

"Aye. What is it?"

Suddenly someone grabbed her from behind, startling her out of her wit, making her scream. 

"Merida!" She heard Macintosh call from below. 

"What are you doing?" Merida spat at Evan, who had now grabbed her feet. 

"We just thought you'd enjoy a dip in the water."

"NO!" Merida screamed. But it was too late, the two men had lifted her, and begun to swung her back and forth until they got enough momentum, and threw her out above the water. 

She saw the world fly around her, until her vision was clouded by the water rushing around her. The water was deeper than it had appeared to be earlier. 

Merida started gasping, and struggling to reach the surface of the water, but her dress was weighing her down. She kept kicking, but it was useless. Her lungs were burning from lack of air, and she had taken in to much water. She started to see black dots, she tried to stay conscious, but her head was hurting, and her lungs were on fire. She was growing tired. She couldn't keep this up any longer. 

Just as she was about to give up, as she finally closed her eyes, she felt two arms surround her. There was a sudden rush of movement, and then she felt the water break around her as she reached the surface. 

She opened her eyes and gasped for air. She started coughing, trying to get the water out of her lungs. After her coughing fit Merida looked up to see the face of her rescuer, "M-Mac?"

"Shhhh. It's alright." Macintosh reached the beach and set Merida down on the warm sand. Dingwall and Macguffin placed an extra riding blanket over Merida's shoulders to help her keep warm. She clutched the blanket, saying a quick thank you to her two friends. 

She could hear a commotion to the left of her, and her brother's voice. She looked over to see the two men who had thrown her into the water being dragged over to the side of the beach. 

"Hamish?" Merida whispered, her voice hoarse after coughing up all the water. 

"Mer." Hamish knelt down beside her and hugged her tightly. "Thank god you're alright. You should've seen Mac dive in after you. He was faster than Hubert to the dessert table."

Merida turned to look at Macintosh and raised an eyebrow, "Was he now?"

Macintosh glanced down at his feet, refusing to meet eyes with Merida. 

Merida reached out and took Macintosh's hand, "Thank you. You saved my life."

"It was nothing." Macintosh said, finally meeting her eyes. "Your mother would have skinned us all alive if we came back to the castle with her daughter dead."

"Aye, that she would. She might even have used you all as rugs. Replace some of the old bearskins."

Macintosh chuckled, "Aye. That she would." 

Merida looked to her side and saw her assailants being watched by two of the other hunters. She looked back at Macintosh, "Help me up."

Macintosh blinked, "Are you sure that's smart?"

"Who cares about smart, I want to speak with those men." She jerked her head to where they were sitting. 

Macintosh nodded, and gave a quick glance to Dingwall and Macguffin behind her. The three leaders helped ease her up from where she was sitting. The rush of the world came about her quickly, and she fell slightly into Macintosh. He quickly wrapped his arm around her to balance her, "You alright Merida?" He asked after she found herself again. 

"Aye. Wee bit woozy is all." She walked towards where the two men were sitting, and stood herself up in the queenly fashion her mother taught her. "Just what the hell were you two thinking?" She boomed. 

"Uh, we uh, it was just that, we....." Evan began stuttering. 

"I'll tell you what you were thinking. You thought it would be funny to throw your queen into a lake from more than ten feet in the air. Never mind the fact that she can't swim to save her bloody life." Merida could feel Macintosh and the others come up from behind her. 

"Merida." Hamish said from behind her, "You know you just said...."

"Yes I know what I bloody well said Hamish." She looked back at Hamish and the three clans leaders, ignoring the shocked looks on their faces. "I CAN'T SWIM!" Merida shouted towards the heavens.

"Well, we didn't know." The other man spoke up. 

"Doesn't matter if you don't know. You shouldn't have thrown your queen into the water in the first place. You shouldn't be throwing anyone into the water, unless they bloody well ask for it. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes Your Highness." Both men said sheepishly. 

"Stand up." Macintosh said from behind her, and the two men easily complied. "Apologize to your queen."

"We're sorry Your Highness." Both men said with a swooping bow. 

"Oh stop it." Merida scoffed. "I know you two were just trying to have some fun. Just don't bloody well do it again." Merida stalked off up the hill towards Angus. 

The walk was hard, as both her dress, and blanket were heavy with water, but she made it up the hill and sat down where she was before. Wrapped up in the extra riding blanket. She sat there, watching the sun go down, feeling the wind start to dry her hair. It was so quiet, and peaceful. 

"I didn't know you couldn't swim." Macintosh's quiet voice came from her side. 

"Well what did you think, that I was floundering about in the water just for fun?" Merida said, not even looking at him. 

Macintosh laughed despite himself. "You really shouldn't be joking like this. You nearly died because of those two men."

"Well now those two men know not to do that again, don't they."

"I suppose so." Macintosh sat down beside her, his feet dangling off the edge of the drop off. He stayed quiet for a while, letting the sounds of the wind fill the silence, until finally he had to ask, "Why don't you know how?" He looked down at her, the wind blowing the dry parts of her hair across her face.

"How to swim?" She asked, looking up at him. The setting sunlight now brushed across her cheekbones, accentuating her natural beauty. 

"Aye." 

Merida blinked, and pulled the blanket tighter around her. She looked off at some far away tree, as though she were talking it and not Macintosh. "I don't know. I just never got the hang of it when I was a kid, and eventually I just stopped trying."

"You mean you gave up?" 

She chuckled, "Yeah, I guess I did."

"But you never give up on anything. At least as long as I've known you. Which is a very long time might I add."

"I know, hard to believe we've known each other nearly 10 years." Merida finally looked back up at Macintosh. 

"Aye. But I've only stood by your side the past 5." 

"And I'm thankful everyday for it." Merida said, looking Macintosh in the eye. 

"Really?"

"Aye. If it hadn't been for you, and Dingwall and Macguffin I wouldn't be where I am today."

"Soaking wet wrapped up in a horse blanket?" He said seriously. 

Merida burst out laughing, and Macintosh quickly followed. "That's not what I meant, and you know it!" She said hitting his arm. 

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." He said, catching his breath. 

"I mean, I wouldn't be Queen. Or, at least not a good one."

"Of course you would have been a good queen."

"You say that now, but think about it. Would you have said that six years ago? Before you and the others were on my side?"

Macintosh paused for a moment, "I-I don't know."

"And that's what I mean." Merida turned her whole body to look at Macintosh, "How good is a queen, if she doesn't have the support of her people?"

"You are right."

"I'm always right." She said, turning back to look at the sunset. 

They sat like that for ages, watching the sunset quietly. Not making a single sound, just enjoying the company the person beside them offered. 

Merida looked up at Macintosh, his hair was almost completely dry, and the setting sun was casting hypnotic shadows along his face. 

She looked down, "I really do want to thank you."

Macintosh looked over at her. "What do you mean?"

"You saved my life." She looked up at him. 

"Of course I did." Macintosh turned towards Merida, and took her small callused hands into his huge ones. "Merida, you are my queen, but more importantly you are my friend. It doesn't matter what happens, I will always be here for you."

Merida paused, and looked down at her enclosed hands, and then back into Mac's eyes. "You mean that?"

"Absolutely. With all my heart." 

Merida pulled her hands out of Macintosh's and pulled him into a hug. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and placed her head right on his shoulder. "Thank you." She whispered. 

Mac's arms slowly wrapped around Merida's waist, and he buried his face into her neck. "Always."

"Ahem." A quick clear cough sounded from behind them. 

The two scots quickly released each other, both desperately trying to hide the blush that had creeped up on their cheeks. 

"Just wanted to let you know that the others have started packing up, and plan to head back to the castle." Hamish said. "Should I leave you two alone or..." There was a hint of teasing in his voice. 

"Okay." Merida stood up quickly, "That's enough from you." She pushed him away down the hill, ignoring his not-so-quiet snickers. 

"Well he certainly is something." Macintosh said from behind her. 

"Aye. That he is. But, can't help but love him." She replied, looking back it him, mimicking their earlier quip. 

Macintosh smiled at the ground. "I should go pack up. Wouldn't want to leave the men waiting you know." 

"Right, yeah. I'll start packing up my stuff. I'll meet you all down there."

"Alright." Macintosh paused before walking away, "Milady."

Merida stood there for a moment, watching his back as he walked down the hill, and couldn't help but to smile. 

She turned around and picked up her stuff from earlier and started shoving them in her pack. Angus made a quick snuff, while looking at her. "Oi. What're you going on bout there?" She affectionately rubbed his nose. 

She hopped up onto his saddle and rode down the hill towards her men. "We're going to want to go now if you lot want to make it home before nightfall."

"As you wish Your Highness." Macintosh said, hopping onto his horse. 

"Come along then boys." Merida turned Angus around, and started galloping off towards Dunbroch. She could hear the other horses coming up from behind her. 

Eventually, Macintosh had found his way beside her. She looked over at him and smiled, and he smiled right back at her with the same fondness. 

She turned to face ahead, letting the wind blow through her still damp locks. She smiled, knowing that this was a moment she would remember for a very long time.


End file.
